Viktor Fasth was as good as anyone in NHL history over his first eight starts, but does that make him worth $5.8 million?

The Anaheim Ducks think so.

Viktor Fasth was rewarded for his work with the Ducks thus far in 2013. (AP Photo)

The team announced Fasth's two-year extension, which will start next season and pay him $2.9 million each year, on Wednesday. Fasth, 30, is 8-0-0 so far in his career and just the third goaltender in history to hit that mark. His .933 save percentage and 1.78 goals-against average are both top seven in the NHL, and his .938 even-strength percentage is 10th among goalies with at least six appearances.

Those are all impressive numbers, but again: eight starts. It makes a little more sense if the Ducks see him as a potential starter moving forward. Incumbent Jonas Hiller has one more year remaining at $4.5 million and has struggled to stay healthy, so there's precedent for Anaheim.

Here's a cautionary tale for the Ducks: Nolan Schaefer. He went 5-1-0 in seven games (.920 save percentage, 1.88 GAA) with the San Jose Sharks over the 2005-06 season, then never played in the NHL again. Fasth has put up better numbers in consecutive games and starred in Sweden before making the jump, while Schaefer was a middling AHL goalie, but sample sizes this small—with goalies nonetheless—are dangerous.